Online Features Editor Bryan Knight reports on the recent political developments in Africa and assesses the threats faced by the continent. In 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced an ambitious initiative that would revamp an ancient trade network that connected the Eastern world with the West. This ‘Belt and Road Initiative’, as it is commonly […]
Saudi Arabia
Yemen: The Forgotten Humanitarian Crisis
On October 23rd, Mark Lowcock, the United Nation’s under-secretary for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Coordinator (OACH) gave a briefing about the famine in Yemen. He described it as “much bigger than anything any professional have seen in their life”. Today, 8 million people are dependent on emergency food aid and this figure will anytime soon […]
Saudi’s Prince Salman promises rapid cultural reform
On October 24 at an investment conference in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin-Salman announced NEOM, a high-tech, futuristic city with a $500 billion pricetag. It’s one of the most ambitious projects in the the country’s Vision 2030 program, which seeks to pivot Saudi Arabia from an oil-based banana republic into a leader […]
What’s going on in Yemen, and why isn’t the world doing more to help?
Although far from a media or political priority during these uncertain times, it is clear that Yemen is in a desperate crisis. The World Health Organisation has released a study showing that fewer than half of the southern Arabian country’s health facilities are equipped to deal with injuries or infectious diseases, and it is estimated that […]
Feminist Friday: The petition against Saudi Arabia’s male guardianship system
Saudi women are not free to make any major life decisions without assent from a male guardian. Under the guardianship system, it is impossible for women to enter employment, begin university, rent a flat, marry or travel abroad without consent from a male guardian, usually their father or husband. A petition to end guardianship, the first […]
Negotiations and escalations: what’s next for Syria, the Middle East and the world?
Amid the ongoing rumblings of the devastating conflict of Syria, the last fortnight has seen some interesting developments on the international stage. Despite the huge impact these will have on those still living in Syria, there is a large extent to which they represent performance politics, with heads of state and diplomats addressing one another […]
Female suffrage – a new Saudi Arabia?
The right to vote has long been a crucial aim of gender equality and, more recently, human rights movements in all parts of the world. Participation in a nation’s political system is largely seen as a route to better standards of living. Since elected representatives are, in theory, motivated to do the best thing for […]
The Foreign Perspective: Yemen’s Forgotten War
Last week, a Médecins sans Frontières hospital in northern Yemen was bombed by the Saudi-American coalition, destroying the only hospital where Yemenis from the surrounding local area could go for aid and health care. However, despite the controversial nature of the strike it was given little to no airtime on news outlets, and highlights a […]